Music Education in the Philippines: Examining the Transition to the K to 12 Curriculum

In 2011, the Philippines shifted from a 10-year basic education curriculum to a 13-year enhanced basic education curriculum called the K to 12 curriculum. Mandatory kindergarten, mother tongue-based multilingual education, and 2-year senior high school education were introduced in this curriculum reform. Key changes introduced by the reforms included the introduction of music as a regular subject starting at Grade 1 and continuing until Grade 10, and the introduction of the senior high school arts and design track, which is a preparation track for future careers or higher music education endeavors. The current research presents the structure and current situation of formal music education in the K to 12 curriculum in comparison with the basic education curriculum of 2002 in terms of time in the classroom and curricula structure, mode of language instruction, and content.